I just can't "Facebook"

Bonsai Nut

Bonsai Nut

Nuttier than your average Nut
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Location
Charlotte area, North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
So I created a Facebook account the other day. My name is "Bonsai Nut". I appreciate Facebook calling me "Bonsai". Perhaps that is a little too informal? Maybe I will request them to call me "Mr. Nut".

My Facebook email was created uniquely for Facebook. I will never use it for anything other than the singular confirmation email they sent me. It will be interesting if I ever receive another email on it, because I will know where they got it from.

I was born on January 1, 1911, which makes me 104 years old. Aside from that, I have no location, school, or personal data posted.

What I find fascinating is the insidious way in which they try to get you to bare your soul on Facebook, so they can own all your personal data. When and where were you born? Where did you go to school? Where have you worked? Who have you dated? Who are your friends? Who are people who used to be your friends, but are no longer your friends? Who are all your family members? What political interests do you have? On and on and on...

I can't see why anyone would share all of this information with a private company who then turns around and sells it to the highest bidder. Call me paranoid :) Regardless... if you see Mr. Bonsai Nut of Nowhere Town, USA on the Facebook bonsai pages - you'll know it's me :)
 
I won't be seeing it. I created a Facebook page not too long ago. I took it down within 24 hours.
 
I have a FaceBook account I use just for bonsai. I put up my JBP as my picture. I didn't fill out any of the profile.
 
I don't have one, never will. I got bonsai groupies calling my cell phone daily now. Can you imagine if I had a Facebook account?
 
I made an alias account when I was collecting. Its still there. That's as much Book as I ever could take. Nailing Morons!

If it was Assbook, you'd see the same pictures.

Michael Ponder
 
There are a couple of bonsai auction and sales groups on FB that have some interesting material, prebonsai, and pots. I recently bought a large Kashima maple and a Sara Raynor pot there.
 
Facebook folks is what you make of it. Can it be sinister? Of course, but then again only if you let it. Keep your identifiable personal information off it and keep your security settings tight and you'll probably have no problem. They ask those questions to "build" your profile, but you don't have to answer them. Or answer them with totally irrelevant information. Change your dates of birth, etc. frequently. Same with your cities, etc. And if you don't "have" to put something as an answer, don't. It's that simple. I 'have" been as old as 104 on there at times, in my thirties other times, etc. The trick is to not put correct information on there that "could" be used to positively identify you. Facebook is not the "only" place where there exists the potential for a lot of personal information to be accessible. You'd be surprised.
 
Yeah but people on there are so retarted. This is my breakfast. I cut my finger. I went to the store. All this and more Earth shattering news.
And then there is the whole friend thing. You can be my friend and get to look at my page and your friends and their friends. Kind of like an STD in that you don't know who the person has been friendly with before you. Personally I don't need to or want to have that many people thinking they are my friends.
Besides the bonsai forums that I am a member of I don't do any sort of social media. This is it.
 
I also have a fake account there, have not filled out any of the profile stuff except for the email, an account I never use. They never send me anything, and I have no contact with it, except for the Bonsai Auctions and Sales group. Those are well worth a visit. Bought a Sharon Muth pot and a couple starter tables there recently. My name if anyone sees me is Jane Bertow. I too don't like the privacy issues, but it appears easy to skirt them. I was hesitant, and took down my site a couple times, but now I see if you do it right, it's just another ebay for me.
 
FrankP999 said:
There are a couple of bonsai auction and sales groups on FB that have some interesting material, prebonsai, and pots. I recently bought a large Kashima maple and a Sara Raynor pot there.
Click to expand...

That is the entire reason I created the account. I wanted to see the auctions. But if I have to share my personal name, address, family history, etc, in order to do so... I will go without.

Additionally, there are a few bonsai groups who sadly only have a Facebook page. Trying to reach them requires that you too have a Facebook page. And then they won't "friend" you unless you share enough personal information with Facebook first so they know who you are. Apparently having a club phone number or club email address was too difficult..

It may all be for naught, regardless. The bonsai auctions and bonsai sales groups are "closed".
 
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Bonsai Nut said:
It may all be for naught, regardless. The bonsai auctions and bonsai sales groups are "closed".
Click to expand...
Closed? I bid on a Sara Rayner pot in an auction that ended Saturday 5 PM Pacific time and was notified late last night I was the winning high bidder. They do mark auctions as "closed" when an auction ends but they usually have one a week from what I have seen.
 
FrankP999 said:
Closed? I bid on a Sara Rayner pot in an auction that ended Saturday 5 PM Pacific time and was notified late last night I was the winning high bidder. They do mark auctions as "closed" when an auction ends but they usually have one a week from what I have seen.
Click to expand...
Bnut is referring to the groups themselves as being "closed". To be admitted to the groups, all you have to do is ask.
 
Bnut, the guy who started and runs those sales sites is a member here. That's how I found out about it, he even posted a thread some time ago. If you PM him and tell him what your fake name is, he will put you in the group. I didn't have to share any info to get in.
 
Hey BNut. I just friended you on FB. I hope it was you. There is another Bonsai Nut on there.
 
Brian Van Fleet said:
Well that anonymity didn't last long. Hope you don't have a criminal past :eek: :p
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Hey I don't care that YOU know who I am... I don't want FACEBOOK to know who I am :) Nor do I want them selling my personal history to advertisers :)
 
Facebook is small beans compared to Google. They all know who you are.
 
Folks, the horses are out of the barn already as far as information about you being out there and available is concerned. There are so many legal avenues available it might boggle your minds, not to mention the so called "hacked" means. The best you can do is try to limit what you put out there. This limiting of FB info is a good start, but if you own property, certain info is out there. Phone numbers reveal some to a degree. Memberships in various and sundry groups that may put their membership info online. And that's just the free stuff.
 
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